The New York Public Library is proud to announce its list of the Best Books for Teens 2014! The list includes a selection of 25 novels, non-fiction books, and graphic novels chosen by a committee of Young Adult librarians who work with teens in NYPL’s neighborhood branches. From March through November we debated and argued, and ultimately decided on these books. It was a tough call, but we think these 25 titles represent some of the best books out there for teens right now.

This list has a little something for everyone: fantasy, science fiction, realism, humor, romance, history, mystery and suspense. We travel from Imperial Russia into the jungles of Gabon, across the oceans to the Panama Canal, from India over to California, then Iowa and finally to Brooklyn, New York, just to name a few exotic locations. These are stories that illuminate the power of friendship and family, love and betrayal, racial tension, giant insect apocalypses, evil witches, psychedelic bat remains, cryogenically frozen heads and non-cuddly chimpanzees.

Here is the list of titles; be sure to also check out our interactive booklist!

Listed in alphabetical order by title.

100 Sideways Miles by Andrew Smith
When Finn was five years old, he was crushed by a horse that fell from the sky. Now he experiences blackouts and counts time in miles instead of minutes.

Crazy by Linda Vigen Phillips
In the JFK-era 1960s, Laura witnesses her mother's mental illness and wonders if she is seeing her own future.

The Family Romanov: Murder, Rebellion and the Fall of Imperial Russia by Candace Fleming
Every once in a while, truth is stranger than fiction. This is the true story of how a royal family's downfall changed history.

Gabi, A Girl in Pieces by Isabel Quintero
"For all the gorditas, flaquitas, and in-between girls trying to make their space in the world," here is Gabi, a SoCal teen trying to make it through her senior year, deal with her drug addicted father, and find her true voice through poetry.

Girls Like Us by Gail Giles
They've just graduated from special ed and now Biddy and Quincy are finding the real world is more dangerous, strange, and wonderful than they expect.

Glory O'Brien's History of the Future by A.S. King
Glory can look at anyone and see their infinite past and future, but there is one person's future she can't see—her own.

Grasshopper Jungle by Andrew Smith
In the small town of Ealing, Iowa, a bi-curious teen and his best friends face a giant insect apocalypse.

Half Bad by Sally Green
What makes a witch good or evil? Nathan has the blood of both in his veins, but not even he knows anymore.

The Here and Now by Ann Brashares
Prenna is an immigrant to New York . . . from the future!

How It Went Down by Kekla Magoon
Tariq is shot and killed outside the bodega, and now everyone has their own opinion about how and why it happened.

I'll Give You the Sun by Jandy Nelson
Jude and Noah are twins. Love, jealousy and art bind them together, but secrets tear them apart.

The Impossible Knife of Memory by Laurie Halse Anderson
Hayley hopes for a normal life when she returns to her hometown, but her father's struggles with PTSD constantly keep her on edge.

Love Letters to the Dead by Ava Dellaira
Dealing with life is hard and dealing with death is even harder. Laurel finds her own way to grieve for her sister by writing letters to dead celebrities.

The Nethergrim by Matthew Jobin
Three friends take on an ancient evil that has the power to destroy not just their village, but the world as they know it.

Noggin by John Corey Whaley
When Travis Coates dies, his head is cut off and frozen. He wakes up five years later to learn that a lot has changed, starting with his body.

Oblivion by Sasha Dawn
Callie knows what really happened the night her father and one of his parishoners disappeared. The only problem is she can’t remember.

The Shadow Hero by Gene Luen Yang
Hank, a grocery store clerk, is pushed by his mother to leave the family business and become the only superhero fighting crime in Chinatown.

Silver People: Voices from the Panama Canal by Margarita Engle
The story of the Panama Canal told in many voices, including a boy named Mateo lured by the promise of riches, a general, a jaguar, the trees, and a young healer.

This One Summer by Mariko Tamaki
A checklist for summer: 1. Learn how to krump. 2. Watch scary movies. 3. Stalk your first crush at the local mini-mart.

Threatened by Eliot Schrefer
In the jungles of Gabon, an orphan boy fights for his adopted chimpanzee family.

Through the Woods by Emily Carroll
An unknown beast plagues a village's livestock, a ghostly voice whispers in the walls, and a little girl sets off through the woods alone in these old and twisted tales brought to new life.

A Time to Dance by Padma Venkatraman
When classical dance prodigy Veda loses her leg in an accident, she discovers where her true talents lie—in the graceful movements of her heart.

We Were Liars by E. Lockhart
Cadence spends every summer with her cousins on her grandfather's private island. This year, amidst the bonfires and boating, she uncovers her family's hidden truth.

When I Was the Greatest by Jason Reynolds
Ali spends his days hanging out on his stoop in Bed-Stuy. One night at a party, he learns how to stand up for his friends and be a man.

The Winner's Curse by Marie Rutkoski
Kestrel, the daughter of a prominent general, buys a slave named Arin and unwittingly sets the wheels in motion for massive changes to her way of life.

Members of the NYPL's Best Books for Teens 2014 commitee are: Co-chairs, Anne Rouyer, Mulberry Street Library and Andrea Lipinski, Kingsbridge Library; Elizabeth R. Bird, BookOps; Shauntee Burns, St. George Library; Amalia Butler, Muhlenberg Library; Amber Certain, Columbus Library; Sandra Farag, Mid-Manhattan Library; Jennifer Gaeta, New Dorp Library; Ashley Gonzalez, St. Agnes Library; Mina Hong, Epiphany Library; Thomas Knowlton, MyLibraryNYC; Gretchen Kolderup, Young Adult Programming; Jeanne Lamb, BookOps; Charlie Radin, Inwood Library; Nicole Rosenbluth, Pelham Bay Library; Lindsy Serrano, Mulberry Street Library; Brian Stokes, Grand Central Library.